Fundamental

Terry Knibbs, a PTA mother, reads `The Snowy Day` to first-graders at the Paxinosa School, Forks Township, as part of the Reading is Fundamental program. Children at the school were allowed to pick books to take home with them as part of the program, sponsored locally by the PTA and the UGI Corp. The grant from UGI will be used to buy more books for students in the Easton Area School District.

Despite the extraordinarily excessive amount of the judgment, you could hardly expect anything but an adverse outcome when you refuse to participate in the arbitration process. On the other hand, the judgment highlights how unfair the arbitration process often is. In many situations consumers are required to sign away their rights to sue in favor of arbitration. In doing so, the consumers agree to have the cases heard before arbitration panels chosen by sellers who shop around for panels that are favorable to their side.

Above, Paxinosa Elementary School first-grader Wayne Benson of Easton looks over a selection of books before picking one out for his own. During the Easton Area School District's Reading is Fundamental project, which is funded by a grant from UGI and matched by money from the PTA, all first-graders receive free books. At left, first-grader Richard Free of Easton listens to Terry Knibbs read at the Forks Township school.

Pennsylvania governments may have missed out on $303 million in gas well impact fees in 2012 because state regulators undercounted the number of wells covered by the law, according to an article published this month in the journal Environmental Practice. The state Department of Environmental Protection was required by the updated drilling law, known as Act 13, to compile a list of all unconventional gas wells that have been "spud" in the state — the first step of drilling. But in a case of "potentially widespread and systemic omissions," the department likely left between 15,300 and 25,100 wells off its list because of errors in its own databases and a failure to include early wells drilled deep into rock formations that fit the law's definition of unconventional wells, researchers at the University of Alberta and McGill University reported in the peer-reviewed paper released last week.

Three Lehigh Valley lawmakers are stepping up efforts to find out why a South Whitehall startup company was awarded nearly $300,000 in state aid. Gov. Ed Rendell presented a symbolic oversize cardboard check to Fundamental Financial at a public ceremony in March. The event, intended to create good press for the governor, backfired when state officials refused to identify the owners of the student loan company. The unusual secrecy became the focus of a story in The Morning Call, and Reps.

To the Editor: Many have castigated President Calvin Coolidge for his remark, `The business of America is business` (speech before American Society of Newspaper Editors, 1925), but he got it exactly right. Business provides the fundamental means to do all the other things we might decide to do. It's useful to remain mindful of this as we consider Agenda 2000 alternatives. One of our biggest social problems derives from the fact that we have insulated our children against the business and money fundamentals.

To the Editor: Paul Carpenter seems to enjoy the subject of bigotry, both writing about it and practicing it by way of his Feb. 9 column. Carpenter implies that the Freeman brothers murdered their parents as a result of fundamental Christian teachings. Let's make one thing clear. Mark Thomas is not a Christian Fundamentalist by any stretch of the imagination, nor does he practice any of its most basic beliefs -- love, joy, peace, patience, faith, self-control. DAVID STROHECKER UPPER MILFORD TOWNSHIP

Of course the recent mule sculpture vandalism is thoughtless and disheartening. At the same time, it reminds me of the fundamental rule for creating outdoor art: make the work indestructible, or start planning the clean-up. To put it another way, the sculptures near Allentown's Cedar Beach are made of metal and stone for a reason. While I am not suggesting that "Miles of Mules" adopt the ugliness of those sculptures, it might be good to use the same materials. Paul Campion Macungie

Maureen Carney of Muhlenberg School shows her first-place poster in the 18th annual Allentown Jaycees' Reading is Fundamental contest. During this year's campaign, more than 14,000 books were distributed to 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-graders in 22 schools in the city. Second-place honors went to Jean Colon of Cleveland School. Third place was captured by Jonelle Christ of Dodd School. Jessica Hoffman of Jackson School won an honorable mention. Becky Walters of Trexler Middle School received honorable mention in the national contest for her poster done in 1991-92.

To the Editor: I wonder: What are the differences between the fundamental legal principles involved in the earlier I-78 suit by the Environmental Defense Fund against PennDOT and the currently proposed one by Salisbury Township as reported in your July 12 issue, particularly since Judge Fullam is reported to have stated in his opinion in the earlier case that the determination for alternatives is properly left to the administrative agencies charged...

I believe it is ill-advised to teach to any standardized tests. Compared to 40 years ago and the creation of the U.S. Department of Education, public school students have received less education in the areas of U.S. history, the U.S. Constitution and geography, let alone a basic understanding of civics. This situation would imply that more attention has been given to areas such as math and reading. I am a product of the Allentown School District from Grades 9 through 12 back in the late '60s.

Patrick Donnelly and Peter Daland shared more than the same initials Tuesday. They served as co-stars in Liberty's latest well-played baseball game. Two solo home runs from Donnelly in the first three innings helped the Hurricanes grab a seven-run lead. Daland kept Whitehall from threatening that advantage, taming the Zephyrs with his slider in Liberty's 8-2 road win that kept it perfect in Lehigh Valley Conference play. Donnelly finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Hurricanes (6-1 overall, 3-0 LVC)

It was a simple philosophy, one fans likely will see again real soon. Double-tight formation with no intention of even attempting a pass. It's what Pen Argyl used in the first half of last Friday's game against Slate Belt rival Bangor. The Green Knights stuffed it down the Slaters' throat. All that slowed them down, particularly in the first half, were two illegal motion penalties. Northern Lehigh has done the same thing this year with the two tight ends and a quarterback only taking snaps, giving handoffs and occasionally calling his own number.

Three Lehigh Valley lawmakers are stepping up efforts to find out why a South Whitehall startup company was awarded nearly $300,000 in state aid. Gov. Ed Rendell presented a symbolic oversize cardboard check to Fundamental Financial at a public ceremony in March. The event, intended to create good press for the governor, backfired when state officials refused to identify the owners of the student loan company. The unusual secrecy became the focus of a story in The Morning Call, and Reps.

The secret to being a good mother is pretty simple, and it doesn't involve buying expensive toys, providing tropical vacations or saying yes to every demand, said a group of veteran mothers at Cedarbrook Nursing Home, who spent Mother's Day receiving accolades and tokens of gratitude from visiting offspring. "Just love your children and learn to forgive," said 74-year-old Jane Bittner, who has four children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. "Don't always get mad at them.

Most Christians in America can probably tell you that today's Easter celebrations commemorate the central event of their faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ after three days in the tomb. But if polls are accurate, some believers don't know that fundamental tenet, and plenty of others don't know much more. According to "The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators," 10 percent of Americans thought St. Joan of Arc was Noah's wife; half in a Gallup study couldn't name any of the four Gospels.

The debate about whether intelligent design should be taught in our schools isn't based on anything other than personal, political and religious dogma. As a scientist, I see evidence of intelligent design in all areas of science. However, that is not the point. The point is that teaching the concept of intelligent design does not promulgate or strengthen the teachings of any specific religious faith or sect. All it says is that the complexity of the universe is such that it did not happen by accident and that, at the most fundamental levels, it was designed by a higher intelligence.

To the Editor: A Morning Call editorial of July 24 praised the Bethlehem Area School District's new code of misconduct which will bounce more unruly students out of school sooner than in previous years. I also agree with bouncing the 12 percent juvenile delinquents out of school sooner to improve the learning climate for the other 88 percent. One ominous part of the misconduct plan is the coercing of the parents of unruly children into mandatory parent training. However, the district's plan for teaching a positive code of conduct to students is severely flawed on several levels.

A startup company that has promised to create 140 jobs in South Whitehall over the next three years has been awarded $290,000 in state aid. Gov. Ed Rendell made the announcement Thursday during a swing through the Lehigh Valley. In a brief ceremony, he presented a symbolic check to the company, Fundamental Financial LLC, which will be in the business of consolidating student loans. "Today's announcement is fantastic news for the Lehigh Valley," Rendell told an audience of about 35 people in front of Roma Corporate Center, the South Whitehall building where Fundamental Financial has leased 15,000 square feet of space.

When I encountered the new electronic voting machines for the first time, I was appalled at the poor and possibly prejudicial design of the screen images presented to the voter. One of the first screens that voters encounter appears to ask them to select a party (Republican, Democrat, etc.). Elsewhere on the screen, it states that this selection will result in a straight-party vote. This is faulty for two reasons. Many voters -- I interviewed some -- think that this screen is for designating their party of registration, so they mistakenly select a party even though they do not intend a straight-party vote.